1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to power conversion and, in particular, to operating a multi-phase DC/AC inverter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Use of distributed generators (DGs) to produce energy from renewable resources is steadily gaining commercial acceptance due to the rapid depletion of existing fossil fuels and the increasing costs of current methods of generating power. One such type of DG may be a solar power system comprising a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) modules that convert solar energy received from the sun into a direct current (DC). One or more inverters then convert the DC current from the PV modules into an alternating current (AC). The AC power generated may then be used to run appliances at a home or business, or may be sold to the commercial power company.
In some DG systems, one or more inverters may each generate multi-phase AC power. For example, an inverter may comprise a three-phase H-bridge for converting the DC input power to a three-phase AC output power. When these inverters operate during periods of reduced input power from the PV modules, such as at sunset or when the sun is obscured by a cloud, a relatively large amount of energy is expended operating all legs of the three-phase H-bridge to achieve the three-phase output power. As a result, the inverter suffers from an inefficient power conversion.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for efficiently operating a multi-phase DC/AC inverter.